Obviously whether you like a place or not is a matter of individual preference and depends what you're looking for. Personally I quite like Manchester. Along with Leeds, and indeed most UK cities, it has had a lot of investment and is vastly improved since the 1980s, reflecting the UK's economic success during that time.

Few places, in the UK or abroad, look at their best from the train. The presence of the railway itself (and associated noise) does not help land values immediately alongside the line. Travelling into London on the Great Western I often think what on earth visitors to the city who landed at Heathrow must be thinking as they look out of the window at the far from flattering first impression. There are exceptions though - what better way to admire Durham or Newcastle than from the train?

Thanks for this interesting video; I'll admit immediately that I only watched the first five minutes. What caught my attention most was the amount of trash and clutter in the vicinity of the tracks, because the total lack of such in TSW and TS is what makes them look so unrealistically sterile, plus the immaculate passenger platforms. Would adding just a modicum of dirt and clutter lower frame rates? If so, how about a clutter slider?